Take action against Hafiz Saeed or else India will: MoS Home warns Pakistan

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir on Wednesday warned Pakistan government to take action on Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed otherwise India would have to do the same.

Ahir's statement comes hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that there was no case registered against Saeed in Islamabad and without it, an action cannot be initiated.

"We will not decide our nation's strategy on basis of what Pakistan says. We consider Hafiz Saeed a terrorist. It will be good if Pakistan government takes action but even if they do not, we will," Ahir told ANI.

Abbasi, in an interview given to Geo TV, said, "Action is taken when there is a case registered [against someone]."

In November last year, Abbasi claimed that India has provided "no evidence" against Saeed on the basis of which he can be prosecuted.

"The court, a three-judge bench, has released him (Saeed) saying there are no charges against him, the country has a law you know," said Abbasi.

The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief is also looking to contest the 2018 general elections in Pakistan and has, thereby, formed a party by the name of Milli Muslim League (MML).

Pakistan has recently prohibited Saeed's JuD and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) from collecting donations.

Saeed, who is a UN-designated international terrorist, was released from house arrest in November after a Pakistani court cited lack of evidence against him in the 26/11 Mumbai attack case.

India has, time and again, protested against Pakistan for harbouring Saeed, who is wanted for plotting the Mumbai attacks, wherein 166 people died in November 2008.